Five Years
by AngeliChemicals
Summary: Sequel to "Five Minutes." When X.A.N.A has taken Odd for his vessel instead of Ulrich, the three friends will again travel to Lyoko to retrieve their friend. Ulrich will stop at nothing to save his best friend! Rated "T" for language, violence, and OddXUlrich.
1. Scars

**Five Years**

**Chapter One - Scars**

Time heals all wounds. That was a lie.

It's been five years since a Lyoko Warrior fell to X.A.N.A. and nothing has healed. Every wound he had taken from that battle still ached…still burned. He felt as if his own blood had been tainted by the devastating loss. Every time he entered his room; looking to the other side…seeing it empty he cried. Every second that slowly dragged by, his heart was breaking. Everything hurt. He felt like death itself wouldn't be enough to cope with losing Odd. Ulrich smirked, sadly, feeling exactly how Odd had felt when he had been taken.

Ulrich would spend several days locked up in his/their room just sitting on the empty side of the room. The principal kept offering to get him a new roommate and every time Ulrich would snap, yelling at him…the answer always being no. He didn't want a new roommate. He didn't want a new best friend. He didn't want a new lover. He wanted Odd. Just Odd.

* * *

Ulrich sat on the untouched bed and hugged his knees. Kiwi jumped onto the bed and sniffed it, whining, he curled up next to Ulrich. Ulrich looked down at the one of the few things Odd's family had let him keep of his. After hearing their son had disappeared and the investigation giving up they wanted everything of Odd's to go with them. Ulrich sniffled; he knew the tears would come again soon. He sat there waiting while gently petting Kiwi.

Ulrich knew he should feel grateful for even being able to be here with Kiwi; when he didn't almost make it himself. He had woken up in a hospital bed over four months ago. Being in Lyoko for so long had almost killed him when he returned home. He didn't want to even think about Odd being there longer than he was and William has been there longer than that. His body shuttered at the thought of them both falling out of the pods…dead.

He remembered being dragged to the way tower then suddenly everything went white. Next thing he remembered was being on a hospital bed with Jeremy and Aelita on either side of him. Neither of them had any sign of an injury…he smiled; as he remembered feeling the slightest bit happy. Even if it did only last for a second.

* * *

_"Jere...my. Ae...lita." Ulrich whispered as he awoke._

"_Ulrich!?" They cheered. They each squeezed Ulrich's hand. _

_"I-I'm glad you two are al…right." _

"_We are now that you're awake!" Aelita cheered, hugging Ulrich. _

_He looked at both his friends, tears in their eyes. Something was different. Aelita's body had changed and her hair was down to her waist, tied back. Jeremy was taller, his hair was messier, and he wasn't wearing his glasses. Ulrich was confused at how much his friends had changed in a few days. _

"_You okay Ulrich? How do you feel?" Aelita asked. Ulrich nodded and saw that they kept exchanging looks. _

"_He needs to know Aelita." Jeremy said. Ulrich was even more confused when he noticed Jeremy's voice was deeper. _

"_Ulrich." Jeremy said squeezing Ulrich's hand tighter. Ulrich nodded once. _

"_After what happened on Lyoko…Aelita and I carried you to the way tower. I de-virtualized myself and Aelita did the same. Then I de-virtualized you. We were all hurt badly. When we got taken to the hospital, Aelita and I were patched up then released a few days later." _

"_Okay…" Ulrich said waiting for Jeremy to go on._

"_The Doctor said you're injuries were too severe and that he didn't know if you'd make it through the night."_

"_And I did." Ulrich said._

"_Yes and we were very happy you did, but then you never woke up. The Doctor came in the next day and said...what happened...the loss forced your mind into a coma. He said your body was healing perfectly, but mentally you weren't."_

"…"

"_We know what happened was hard for you. It was hard for all of us, but you can't do that to us Ulrich. We need you here…awake and alive." Jeremy said patting Ulrich's hand with his free one. _

"_I'm sorry. I guess I didn't care to wake up...knowing he wasn't here…" A single tear fell and stained the bed sheets. _

"_Y-you don't have to apologize Ulrich." Aelita stuttered. _

"_H-how long was I in the coma?" _

"_Almost five...years."_

"What?" Ulrich asked, shocked.

Jeremy and Aelita nodded slowly.

_F"-five years!? Are you serious!?" Ulrich exclaimed looking at his friends. Now understanding why they looked so different. _

"_T-that means Odd's been there for that long! H-have you been to Lyoko?" _

"_I've been to Lyoko everyday since…"Aelita trailed off. _

"_I've monitored every visit and X.A.N.A's bug is still in effect. I don't think I'll be able to get rid of it." Jeremy looked at the floor. _

"_Have you seen-"_

"_No. Every time I've been there. I searched every corner on every sector. There hasn't been a single sign of X.A.N.A, Odd, or William." Aelita said looking just as disappointed as Ulrich. _

"_Lyoko has been quiet since he took Odd." _

"_Which means he's planning something...something bad really soon. I need to get to Lyoko." Ulrich said turning his body so his legs hung off the bed. _

"_Ulrich wait!" Jeremy said, thinking back to how Odd did the same thing when Ulrich was taken. _

"_I can't wait Jeremy. X.A.N.A may be hiding until I go to Lyoko. He did say he may come back for me too. So I'm going to get Odd back and you two are coming with me." _

"_What about Yumi?" Aelita cut in, regretting it as soon as she said it. _

_Ulrich threw his fist into the nearest beeping medical machine, causing it to dent inward. _

"_If I see her…I don't know what I'll do." Ulrich threatened pulling his fist from the broken machine. Aelita looked sympathetically at Ulrich. She knew Yumi had…done something bad, but there had to be a reason as to why._

"_Help me up." Ulrich said. Jeremy put his arm around his neck and put an arm around his waist for support. Ulrich leaned onto Jeremy, realizing his body felt heavy._

"_Aelita go check him out and then meet us at the factory." Jeremy said helping Ulrich change into the clothes they brought for him. _

_Dressed, Ulrich slowly stumbled into use the bathroom. He closed the door and turned on the light. Gasping at the unfamiliar person in the mirror. He's been in a coma for almost five years and the change in his face shocked him. He barely recognized himself. He had grown taller, like Jeremy, and his hair was much longer with his bangs hanging in his face. He moved closer and touched the face in the mirror then touched his cheek. It was pale in comparison to his hand and his eyes looked tired…almost like he was dead. He jumped when Jeremy knocked on the door. _

"_You okay in there Ulrich?" _

"_Y-yeah I'm coming!" _

_They left the hospital and made their way to the computer lab. It looked exactly the same except there seemed to be a thicker coat of dust on everything, excluding the keyboard. _

"_I've programmed new upgrades for our uniforms for each of us, since everything is different now. Lyoko is different. We'll end up fighting to the death again to retrieve our friend."_

"_I'll do anything to get him back." Ulrich announced, climbing the ladder to the pods._

"_Just don't get yourself killed Ulrich. Go Aelita." Jeremy ordered. Aelita nodded and followed after Ulrich. They entered the pods and they went through the familiar flash of white. _

_Virtualized…they were back._

* * *

Ulrich woke to someone banging on his door. He didn't remember falling asleep, but he got up from the bed without moving Kiwi. He opened the door and saw an alert Aelita, panting, leaning against the wall.

"C-come to the computer lab…h-hurry."

"Why? What happened Aelita?" He asked gripping her shoulders.

"He…Odd. W-we found him."

Ulrich's eyes widen as he pushed past Aelita and took off down the hallway, running as fast as he could to the computer lab. Aelita, still panting, followed behind.

_Finally after five years!_

**(A/N) Okay it's really not what I expected, but that doesn't mean I don't like it. :) Anyways, in "_Five_ Minutes" they're all about 13 & 14 years old so now their all around the ages of 18 & 19 in this story. Yay! Older Ulrich and Odd! Hope you enjoyed the first chapter of the sequel "_Five_ Years" and look forward to a new chapter coming soon! REVIEW PLEASE! **


	2. Hope

**Five Years**

**Chapter Two - Hope**

"_- Lyoko is different. We'll end up fighting to the death again to retrieve our friend."_

"_I'll do anything to get him back." Ulrich announced, climbing the ladder to the pods._

"_Just don't get yourself killed Ulrich. Go Aelita." Jeremy ordered. Aelita nodded and followed after Ulrich. They entered the pods and they went through the familiar flash of white. _

_Virtualized…they were back._

* * *

_Ulrich looked Aelita and himself over. Jeremy hadn't changed much with their uniforms other than the colors. Ulrich's usual yellow and black uniform was now all black with darkly shaded parts of red wrapping around his body. Aelita's pink uniform had taken on a darker…yet angelic shade of pink and her wings shined; cloaked in the brightest of whites. Aelita still had her Energy Fields, although it seemed as though they've gotten much bigger and they were now the same darker pink as her uniform. Ulrich's blades had changed to the same red in his uniform while the hilt of the swords had been covered in black. Ulrich held both weapons out in front of him and noticed that they had felt much lighter than before…he also noticed that he hadn't been there for five years…_

_My fighting skills probably suck now… Ulrich thought to himself as he sheathed his weapons. _

"_We should be in the same place where we last fought X.A.N.A and his army." Aelita said, barely glancing at the horrific scene that easily filled her head with the same horrific memories. _

_Everything looked the same…even the craters and blood still stained the virtual stone ground, but Jeremy was right…Lyoko was different. It looked the same, but didn't feel the same._

"_There isn't a single sign of X.A.N.A. I can't sense him at all." Ulrich said, cautiously scanning the mountainous sector. _

"_That's what we told you in the hospital Ulrich. We haven't seen any trace of X.A.N.A, Odd, or William since they fell into the digital sea." Aelita explained, placing herself next to Ulrich. _

"_This doesn't make any sense! Why would he up and vanish like that? X.A.N.A said he'd be coming back for me too…so where the hell is he!?" Aggravated, Ulrich kicked the closest stone. Red blurred his vision as the rock flew. He stared at the rock until it landed again. He walked towards it, bent down, and picked up that same rock; while he continued to stare at it. _

"_Ulrich?" Aelita asked, holding her hand out. _

"_What happens when something falls into the digital sea?" He asked, never breaking his gaze on the rock. Aelita slowly approached Ulrich, but her words got caught in her throat when she saw the red stained rock. She quietly cleared her throat, trying not to draw attention to herself…even though that was impossible since Ulrich seemed to be so fixated on that rock. _

"_We're not sure what happens when something falls into the sea. I had always assumed that whatever falls in…is either destroyed…or it becomes a part of Lyoko forever. Since none of us have fallen in and returned we have no way of knowing for sure." _

_Ulrich tightened his grip around the rock and walked to the edge of the sector. Looking down at the same waves that had swallowed his best friend he choked when the tears struggled to break free. _

"_Ulrich?" Aelita put a hand over her heart, while the other held it there. She knew this had to be hard for Ulrich…being betrayed by a girl he thought was his friend…losing his best friend and boyfriend…being in a coma for over five years…and now that he was awake and back in Lyoko…Odd was no where to be found._

* * *

"_Five years…" Ulrich whispered to the blood stained rock. He slowly blinked, taking it all in without allowing a single tear to reach the surface. Ulrich took a few steps back and dropped to his knees then held his arms out as he lowered his stomach to the ground. His arms hung over the edge of the sector as he watched the waves crash into each other. Remembering that this was the same thing he'd done when Odd fell into the sea, he quietly chuckled to himself. _

_His chuckles didn't last long as he felt hot tears streaking down his cheeks and joining his best friend in the sea. Ulrich gripped the rock that was still attached to his hand and sat up on his knees. He could feel Aelita's sympathetic eyes drilling into his back, but he refused to look at her with more tears in his eyes. He lifted the rock up over his head and threw it over the edge, to be swallowed up by the sea. Ulrich watched the rock hit the sea, never to be seen again. Seeing that rock disappear beneath the water, Ulrich could feel something inside him break. His vision blurred, head throbbed, he dug his fingers into his scalp and snapped. Everything kept breaking._

"_**ODD!**__" Ulrich wailed as if he was back to that same day…as if Odd would hear his desperate screams. Aelita's body shook as her own tears fell to the cold cratered ground. Odd was her friend too, but Ulrich loved him…she couldn't imagine if it had been Jeremy instead of Odd, but she didn't want Ulrich to feel like he was alone in this. She ran to the edge, knelt down next to him, and threw her arms around his shoulders. _

"_**ODD!" **__Aelita held him as he continued to scream Odd's name at the unresponsive sea. Ulrich cries were left unanswered and he gave up on waiting for one. His shaking hands slowly went up and wrapped around Aelita's body, at this she only tightened her hold on her sobbing friend._

* * *

"_Aelita." _

"_Y-yes Jeremy?"_

"_That's enough for now. I don't think staying there any longer would be good for Ulrich. We should let him rest…I'll continue to scan Lyoko for anything." _

_Aelita nodded and helped Ulrich to his feet. He was so distraught that he didn't say anything to Jeremy about leaving and he didn't fight Aelita when she dragged him back to the way tower. He didn't want to leave Lyoko yet, but he didn't have the energy to even try and stay. Ulrich gave up and leaned onto Aelita as they entered the way tower and became draped in the same flash of white. _

_They were back. _

_Ulrich and Aelita walked slowly back to the computer lab from the pods. Ulrich hadn't said a word, Aelita didn't push him. Jeremy saw the absolute disappointment and grief stricken expression that clouded Ulrich's, usually cheerfully charming, face. _

"_I have scanned Lyoko every day since Odd's disappearance, but the computer hasn't found a single sign of X.A.N.A anywhere on any of the sectors." _

"_Have you tried any of the other Lyoko worlds…we once travelled to?" Ulrich said, monotonously. _

"_I have. I did an entire scan of each Lyoko world we've discovered and…nothing. It seems as though falling into the digital sea does destroy you. Even X.A.N.A." _

_Ulrich didn't look away from Jeremy as he punched the wall. He pulled his hand from the dent he made in the wall as he walked towards Jeremy. Noses inches apart…_

"_Don't ever say that again." Ulrich walked to the door of the computer lab, only to be stopped by Aelita. _

"_No one at school knows about you being in a coma. We told everyone that you were on a trip overseas. As for Odd…he just ran away…vanished." Aelita whispered the last word._

* * *

_Ulrich scoffed and left the factory, walking back to their dorm. Jeremy sighed and continued typing while Aelita pulled up a chair next to him. _

_School was going to be quite different now. Ulrich was stopped by several people; he'd forgotten most of their faces. He didn't care to talk to any of them and walked to his old room. He stared at the door, for what seemed like hours, and slowly turned the knob. He flicked the light on and was immediately attacked by Kiwi. _

"_Kiwi!?" He exclaimed, kneeling down. Ulrich petted the dog; he never really liked Kiwi, but he looked around the room and noticed Odd's side was completely clean, while his side had been covered in boxes that read: "Ulrich's Stuff Do Not Open! He'll be back soon!" He smiled, thanking, his friends for packing all his stuff up and keeping his room clean. He looked back down at Kiwi and noticed and bowl of food and water at the corner of his room. Ulrich smirked, stood, and plopped down on Odd's bed, since his was covered in boxes that he didn't feel like unpacking. He inhaled, but failed to catch Odd's scent. It's been too long…_

"_It's gone." He whispered, closing his eyes._

* * *

_That night…every night Ulrich saw the same scene from that day in Lyoko. He watched his best friend, the only one he's ever loved, fall into the digital sea…disappearing forever. He'd wake up covered in sweat and tears, panting. Jeremy has even knocked on his door a few times during the night because he had heard Ulrich screaming. Some nights Jeremy even stayed in Ulrich's room, at least until he fell asleep. Jeremy would watch his best friend grimace in his sleep as the tears slid down his cheeks, staining his pillow. He hated seeing Ulrich, someone that is so strong, so broken…and shattered. _

_That night…every night Jeremy leaned over and whispered the same thing into Ulrich's ear, hoping it would calm him or give him the slightest bit of hope that he'd be with Odd again one day. That they all would. _

"_It's going to be okay Ulrich. We'll get Odd back, I promise." _

_Jeremy didn't know if he believed his own words, but he hoped that they were true. Every word. _

_He left Ulrich's room and without changing out of his pajamas or telling Aelita, he went straight to the factory. It was going to be a long night. _

**(A/N) Okay first, I'm sorry it took so long. I had some pretty intense Writer's Block. :( Anyways hope you liked the new chapter! By the way, this whole chapter is back in a flashback. That's why it's all italicized and the beginning part is from Chapter One when they first went back to Lyoko after Ulrich woke up from his coma. The flashback will soon meet up to the present which was at the end of Chapter One when Aelita said they found Odd. So please review and a new chapter will be coming soon! I hope. :)**


	3. Earth

**Five Years**

**Chapter Three - Earth**

_Months passed and nothing seemed to get any better. Nothing felt right. School dragged on every day…which Ulrich barely paid any attention to. And to make matters worse, the principal kept asking Ulrich about a new roommate…and every time Ulrich plainly refused...snapping at him for continuously asking. Jeremie and Aelita were the same although they looked completely different. He also found out that they were now dating and have been for the last three years. Ulrich smiled at that._

_At least something good has happened…'bout time. _

_His smile faded as he came face to face with the door to his room. He looked the door up and down then repeated the same task of scanning the door until he got the courage to move his hand to the knob. Ulrich exhaled once the door was open and an excited Kiwi greeted him. He shut the door and knelt down in front of Kiwi. Gently petting the mutt, he whispered…_

"_Where is he Kiwi?" The dog looked up at Ulrich and his only response was to turn his head in confusion. Ulrich let out a fake chuckle. _

"_So you don't know either huh?" _

_Ulrich clenched his hands as the tears came again. _

"_It's going to be another one of those nights." He mumbled to himself._

_Through the night, Ulrich never moved from the floor. Eventually his body gave out and Jeremie found him, hours later, passed out on the floor. _

"_Ulrich…" Jeremie whispered as he picked Ulrich up off the floor and put him down on Odd's bed. He placed a hand on Ulrich's, still damp, cheek and gently rubbed the streaks off. _

"_I'm sorry Ulrich." Jeremie said and quietly left the room. He, again, made his way back to the factory for another long night of endless scanning._

* * *

_Jeremie entered the factory and noticed a light was on in the computer lab. He slowly approached the door when he was suddenly ambushed by pink. _

"_A-Aelita? What're you doing here?" Jeremie stammered, placing his hands on her shoulders. _

"_Me? What're you doing here at this hour Jeremie?" _

"_I'm trying to find Odd." _

_Aelita nodded, took Jeremie's hand, and led him to the computer. She pulled up her chair and sat down next to his. She smiled and patted his seat. _

"_Well come on. Let's start the scans." Jeremie nodded, took his seat, and immediately began typing; starting every scan he knew of that would locate X.A.N.A on Lyoko. _

_Hours passed; in minutes the sun would be rising and still Jeremie continued watching the scans, every one of them ending in failure. _

"_Dammit!" He cursed, slamming his hands on the keyboard. He dug his fingers into his hair while he continued cursing to himself. Aelita sighed sadly and placed her hand on his back. _

"_Maybe he really is gone Jeremie." She said to him, but he wouldn't meet her eyes._

"_I don't get it though Aelita! Why would X.A.N.A fall into the digital sea after he spent all that time getting a new vessel, only to destroy it and himself?"_

"_Maybe he thought the sea wouldn't destroy him since he was X.A.N.A. But he never took into consideration that both of his vessels were severely injured. Maybe they couldn't survive the digital sea and since X.A.N.A was inside a vessel…he was destroyed too."_

"_Would X.A.N.A really be destroyed like that though? Every time he possessed someone here and we got rid of him he was never completely destroyed."_

"_We never actually killed one of his vessels before Jeremie and-" _

"_We didn't kill Odd." Jeremie cut in without looking away from the keyboard. Aelita took a shaky breath then continued. _

"_I know that Jeremie. Like I said we never killed a vessel before and that part that was always possessing people here…that was only a part of X.A.N.A not his real body. His real body was inside of Odd when he fell into the sea." _

"_There has to be something I'm not doing right. I probably didn't do the right scan."_

"_Jeremie we searched all over Lyoko. Throughout every single sector several times along with the other Lyoko worlds. X.A.N.A isn't in Lyoko-"_

"_What?" Jeremie released his head, sat up, and stared straight ahead at the computer screen. A clear look of realization appeared on his, once frustrated, face. _

"_What?" Aelita moved closer to him and tried to see what he could see._

"_X.A.N.A's not on Lyoko! That's it Aelita!" Jeremie cheered. He jumped from his chair and threw his arms around her shoulders. Aelita was still slightly confused, but she couldn't help but let out a laugh. _

_Seconds later Jeremie was back in his chair beating at the keys, starting a new scan. _

"_What are you scanning now?" _

"_I'm scanning for any trace of X.A.N.A." _

"_But he's not on Lyoko Jeremie…"_

"_I'm not scanning Lyoko."_

"_Then where?"_

"_I'm scanning Earth."_

* * *

_The sun appeared below the moon as the black of night turned blue. It was morning. _

_Ulrich groaned at the bright light that stung his eyes. He looked down and saw Kiwi lying on his stomach; noticing he was on Odd's bed. He didn't remember how he got off the floor and he didn't care. Kiwi awoke and licked Ulrich's cheek before jumping off the bed for food and water. Ulrich looked over and saw both bowls were, again, filled. A small smile broke on his lips as he thanked his friends for everything they've done. He rolled off the bed, slowly changed his clothes, and somewhat brushed his hair. After finishing his hair he heard a quiet knock on the door. He froze. For some reason he felt as though the knock was hesitant, almost like whoever they were regretted knocking in the first place. Ulrich swallowed and slowly made his way to the door knob and without any hesitation on his part, he jerked the door open. His faced drained of color and emotion when he realized it was Yumi. She hadn't grown much taller and she still wore all dark colors, but her hair was longer with a streak of purple in the bangs. Her eyes were puffy and she seemed much skinnier than he remembered. _

"_U-Ulrich?" She barely whispered. Ulrich felt his whole body shake with rage, but also sadness. _

"_Yumi." He didn't even like to say her name because it left a bad taste in his mouth, but what made him even more angry was that he missed saying it too. _

"_Aelita told me you were awake."_

"_I woke up months ago."_

"_I know, but Jeremie wouldn't let me see you yet. He kept saying…it was too soon." Ulrich silently thanked Jeremie, wherever he was. _

"_What do you want?" _

"_I wanted to see you…that's all."_

"_Then why are you still here?" _

"_I-I know it won't mean anything, but I'm sorry Ulrich. I'm glad you're alright." Yumi looked at the ground as she turned to leave; only to be stopped by a hand on her shoulder. Her body shook at Ulrich's touch and she looked back at him. His eyes were cold and his face held no expression as he spoke in a sour tone. _

"_I will never forgive what you did Yumi." Ulrich yanked on her shoulder until she faced him completely. _

"_We were friends and you betrayed us-"_

"_U-Ulrich let me-" He grabbed both of her shoulders and shook her until they became face to face. Noses almost touching. Yumi could feel the heat coming from his body. She has never seen Ulrich this angry._

"_YOU BETRAYED US! YOU LET HIM TAKE ODD! AND I WILL __**NEVER**__ BE ALRIGHT!" Ulrich released her shoulders and pushed her away. Ulrich, now panting and sweating, leaned against his door trying to catch his breath. Yumi looked at him and she couldn't believe that this was Ulrich. That Ulrich had become such a mess just because of Odd. _

"_Ulrich?" He looked up at her as his knees began to go numb._

"_What happened to you?" She already knew part of the answer, but she wanted to hear him say all of it. He shook his head and bit his lip; trying to stay on his feet. _

"_You're asking me what happened to me. Really? You?"_

"…"

"_Five years ago I went to Lyoko on a simple mission with my four best friends then we find out that X.A.N.A had wanted make me his new vessel. We fought and fought against him then somewhere during this on going battle I stabbed Odd more than once, killing him. Then I try to kill myself to prevent X.A.N.A from having his vessel only to be brought back to life by Truth. When you guys come back we're all fighting again…all my friends are continuously getting hurt for my sake and I couldn't do a damn thing to help. Then out of no where I actually fall in love while there only to see him sacrifice himself over and over for me…and you, I might add. We end up fighting against the biggest army on Lyoko we've seen and at the very end of it X.A.N.A decides to change his mind and take Odd instead of me. You come to…and you were the only one that would've been able to try and stop him, but what do you do…"_

_Ulrich looked Yumi straight in the eyes. _

"_What did you do?" _

"_I left." _

"_Right. My friend Yumi betrayed us and X.A.N.A took Odd. I watched him fall into the sea and disappear beneath the waves. Then I freak out…Jeremie and Aelita dragged me to the way tower and next thing I know I wake up in the hospital five years later. On top of all that…Jeremie tells me he hasn't been able to locate Odd or X.A.N.A and that he might've been destroyed by the digital sea." _

"_I'm sorry-"_

"_Yumi don't you dare say that to me again. I'll admit I always knew how you felt, but since we never went anywhere with it I never felt bad for the feelings I had for Odd. So I moved on and you…you couldn't just wait to deal with all this when we were all home safe!?" Ulrich huffed and grabbed the door knob for support. _

"_Y-you look exhausted Ulrich…"_

"_You're right. I haven't had a peaceful night sleep and I haven't greeted the morning as being new day and being happy to wake up and live it. Right now I don't care what I do or what happens to me…"_

"_What are you doing then?" _

"_Yumi!?" Jeremie and Aelita exclaim in unison. _

"_What're you doing here?" Jeremie said standing next to Ulrich, placing his hand on his back. Jeremie could feel Ulrich's entire body shaking. _

"_I wanted to see him. The only time I could was when you weren't here." Yumi said glaring at Jeremie. Aelita stood off to the side. She loved all her friends and she knew what Yumi did, but she couldn't stand everyone fighting when there usually all laughing together. _

"_You should go Yumi." Jeremie ordered rather than suggested. She nodded and turned._

"_Y-Yumi." Ulrich breathed out. She looked back at him and, again, saw that same emotionless face._

"_You asked me what I was doing."_

"_..." _

"_I'm waiting. Everyday."_

"_For what?" _

"_Odd."_

* * *

_Yumi stood wide eyed and forced herself to turn and walk away. Leaving her, once best friends and love, behind. Once Yumi was out of sight, Ulrich let go and began coughing erratically, making his knees give out. Jeremie barely had enough time to catch him before he fell to the floor. _

"_Aelita run and tell the nurse I'm bringing Ulrich."_

"_You want me to get a wheelchair from the infirmary?"_

"_No. I'll carry him. Go Aelita!"_

"_Okay!" Aelita said as she ran off to the infirmary. _

_Jeremie lifted Ulrich off the ground, much like the night before, and carried him towards the infirmary. He cursed himself for thanking Ulrich for being much lighter than usual, but he's even lighter than he felt last night. Jeremie looked down to the pale face of his best friend only to curse himself more for not working harder to find Odd. _

_The only hope he had now was all on that final scan. Although he was hoping to find Odd…Jeremie couldn't help but feel like finding Odd wasn't going to make anything better. _

**(A/N) Yes...yes...yes I know it has really been awhile and I apologize. Been dealing with some things...family wise. So anyways here's a new chapter and yes it is still in a flashback. I haven't decided whether or not Yumi will be in this story any more than this...guess we'll see. Hope you enjoyed the chapter and IT'S A LONGER CHAPTER! YAY! Okay...please review. :)**


	4. Found

**Five Years**

**Chapter Four - Found**

_Jeremy ran as fast as he could, while carrying Ulrich in his arms, to the infirmary. He didn't know what all Yumi had said to Ulrich, but he knew it had been too much for Ulrich to take; thus, putting him in this state. Ulrich's body was shaking and he was panting heavily. Jeremy feared the worst and only quickened his pace._

"_Jeremy! Over here!" Aelita yelled, standing at the infirmary door, waving her arms. Jeremy didn't even blink as the door was in sight. As soon as he reached Aelita she helped him half carry Ulrich the rest of the way to the bed. The nurse quickly pushed them out-of-the-way when she saw the boy on the bed already sweating through the sheets. _

"_I need you two to get some water while I get his breathing under control." The nurse commanded and the two were off to the cafeteria. _

"_Ulrich? Can you hear me?" The nurse calmly whispered. _

"_Haahh…ughhh. W…where…" Ulrich groaned. _

"_You're in the infirmary. Your friends brought you here. Can you tell me what brought this on?" _

"_Brought…w-what on?" _

"_You've having a severe anxiety attack. You need to calm down. Just breathe." The nurse instructed. _

"_A…an anxi…ety a…ttack?" Ulrich said through pants. _

"_We got the water!" Aelita said as she and Jeremy ran through the door. _

"_Is he okay?" Jeremy asked, handing the water bottle to the nurse. _

"_He'll be fine. He just needs to calm down." The nurse said as she tilted the bottle down towards Ulrich's mouth._

* * *

_Jeremy and Aelita, again, placed themselves by Ulrich's bed. Seconds of silence went by before another word was said. _

"_May I ask what brought this on?" The nurse asked, sitting across from the teens. _

_Jeremy and Aelita exchanged looks with each other then stared down at Ulrich. He kept his face blank and his eyes were glued to the water bottle in his hand. _

"_Ulrich?" The nurse calmly pushed again for an explanation. _

"_S-someone who used to be my friend talked to me." _

"_Is that all? Why isn't that person you're friend anymore, if you don't mind my asking." _

"_S-she kil-"_

"_Ulrich." Jeremy placed his hand on his trembling shoulder. He could tell Ulrich was struggling to speak and he wasn't in control of the words that were leaving his mouth. _

"_Our friend betrayed us. That's all. We don't want to go into detail because of…" Jeremy glanced down at Ulrich and the nurse immediately nodded in understanding. The nurse stood and walked to the door, paused, and turned back towards the three teens. _

"_Being betrayed is indeed an awful feeling, but I know there's more to it then just that. Ulrich, you've been at this school for years and I've watched you five, who were always together, for those same years. When I look at you now…I can see that there are only three of you now. One was a betrayer, you told me, and the other…"_

"_STOP IT!" Ulrich exploded, immediately sitting up, making the water bottle crash to the floor. Jeremy and Aelita jumped and placed their hands on his shoulders, holding him back. The nurse sighed, shook her head, and walked back towards his bed. Ulrich scanned her up and down, watching her expression, he couldn't help but think she looked kind of sad. She stopped and knelt by the end of the bed. _

"_Ulrich, you need to face these feelings. They are the reason for that aggressive anxiety attack. You can't keep everything inside, talk to your friends…let them help you heal." With that, the nurse quickly left the room and again the room became surrounded in silence._

* * *

_Jeremy and Aelita sat back and exhaled the breath that caught in their lungs. Aelita realized her face was wet, she quickly moved her hand to wipe away the tears, but before she could Ulrich grabbed her hand. She gasped and looked at his hand then her eyes traveled to his face. He looked at her with the most sorrowful smile she's ever seen. She gasped again when she noticed that, he too, was crying; the tears soaking his cheeks and fell onto the bed. Seeing that only made her feel like crying more. _

"_W-why are you s-smiling?" She choked, more tears emerging. Ulrich squeezed her hand, looked over at Jeremy, grabbed his hand, and pulled the hands together. _

"_Because even though I feel so alone, you two have always been here. I-I can't even imagine where I'd be if you guys haven't saved me so many times. From X.A.N.A, Yumi, and even myself. T-thank you."_

"_Ulrich…" Jeremy whispered._

_Ulrich held their hands to his chest, bending over, he let all the tears, that he had bottled up, free._

* * *

_Hours passed before Jeremy and Aelita had been able to calm Ulrich down. The tears had ceased, for now; Jeremy knew more tears would come soon. _

"_You okay to go back Ulrich?" Aelita asked. He nodded to her and pulled the blanket off his body. Jeremy signed the sign out sheet for Ulrich as Aelita helped him off the bed. _

"_I'm fine, I can walk." Ulrich said, pulling his arm from Aelita's grasp. Ulrich walked to the door, took a deep breath, and left. Jeremy looked over at Aelita, her eyes held such concern for their friend, but they both knew that nothing would fix him. Jeremy pulled Aelita's hand until she faced him then he slowly pulled her to his chest._

* * *

_The walk back to his room was the longest walk of his life, but then he realized that he wasn't even walking anymore. He was already face to face with his door. Ulrich cursed and knocked his forehead against the wood. He felt around for the knob, forced the door open, and pushed through the darkness of his room. Kiwi had already fallen asleep and he tried his best not to wake him. _

_Ulrich looked at the empty side of his room and sat on the untouched bed. He hugged his knees and sniffled; he knew the tears would come again soon. He tried his best to fight them, but in the end he always lost that battle. He heard Kiwi shuffle from sleep and jump onto the bed. He sniffed it and whined. Kiwi knew. Ulrich locked eyes with the last thing that belonged to his Odd and he was beyond grateful to have Kiwi there with him. The room would be too quiet if it was just him…alone. Ulrich sat there in the dark petting Kiwi and waiting for the tears to come. _

_It's already been four months since he woke up and still…nothing. Ulrich remembered their last trip to Lyoko and there had been nothing there, no sign of X.A.N.A, Odd, or even William. They were all gone…vanished beyond the sea._

* * *

"_Jeremy where are you going now?" Aelita asked following close behind him. _

"_I'm going to my room. I left my laptop there while it was doing the scan. It should be done now." Jeremy explained while he opened his door. He went straight to his desk and opened his laptop. Placing it on his lap, he immediately began typing and scanning the entire screen. _

"_Anything?" Aelita asked, anxiously waiting for the answer. Jeremy shook his head, placed the laptop back down on the desk, and leaned back in his chair. He sighed in a frustrated tone. _

"_The scan is almost done and still nothing. No sign of anything!" Jeremy exclaimed, kicking his trashcan over. _

"_Jeremy…is this scan the last one we can do?" _

"_Yes it is Aelita. This is it." _

"_Then it'll find something." Aelita said, smiling. Jeremy let out a soft chuckle and mirrored her smile. _

"_I hope you're right."_

_Aelita giggled, yanked Jeremy out of the chair, and pulled him onto his bed next to her. They wrapped their arms around each other and stayed in that, for once, comfortable silence._

"_Should we tell Ulrich that we're searching for Odd on Earth?" Aelita asked. _

"_I don't think so. We don't know how he'd react. He just needs to relax and stay calm for now." _

"_Yeah…but-"_

_Suddenly an alarm went off on the laptop. Almost an immediate reaction to the noise, Jeremy rolled over Aelita, leapt off the bed, and crashed into his chair. _

"_What is it!?" Aelita said, sitting on the edge of the bed. _

"_I-It's Odd!" Jeremy gasped. _

"_W-what? Really? Where!?"_

"_He's…" Jeremy stared blankly at the screen._

"_Jeremy?" _

_Jeremy slowly looked up at Aelita and turned the screen towards her. Her voice caught in her throat and all that escaped her mouth was a gasp. _

"_I'll meet you there.__" Jeremy whispered._

_Without permission or hesitation, Aelita threw the door open and ran. Jeremy looked back at the screen, his breath shaking, he began a new scan. Closing his laptop, he left for the computer lab._

"_This is it."_

* * *

Ulrich woke to someone banging on his door. He didn't remember falling asleep, but he got up from the bed without moving Kiwi. He opened the door and saw an alert Aelita, panting, leaning against the wall.

"C-come to the computer lab…h-hurry."

"Why? What happened Aelita?" He asked gripping her shoulders.

"He…Odd. W-we found him."

Ulrich's eyes widen as he pushed past Aelita and took off down the hallway, running as fast as he could to the computer lab. Aelita, still panting, followed behind.

Finally after five years!

**(A/N) Okay this chapter didn't take me as long as the last, but still sorry it took so long. :) Next chapter is back to the present. So happy the italics are done! :) The past is all caught up and now the story can really begin! Please review. **


	5. Waiting

**Five Years**

**Chapter Five - Waiting**

The three teens met at the computer lab, Jeremy arriving first. The scan he started before leaving the dorm had finished. The truth was there.

"Yes." Jeremy whispered to himself.

Ulrich barged into the lab and stood behind Jeremy. Aelita soon emerged from the door, still panting.

"J-Jeremy is it true?" Ulrich asked.

"Yes Ulrich. We found Odd. The scan I just did, confirms it."

"Where is he?"

"Ulrich can you sit down?" Aelita asked, pushing a chair towards him.

"Okay…where is he?" Ulrich said sitting down, tone deepening.

"Since we haven't been able to locate Odd or even X.A.N.A on Lyoko, I tried to search for them here."

"Here?"

"Earth."

"Earth? You found him here!?" Ulrich exclaimed, gripping the arms of the chair.

"Yes."

"Where!?"

Jeremy looked over at Aelita. She nodded and continued.

"He's at the Hermitage."

"T-the Hermitage? This whole time?" Ulrich's lungs deflated as the breath left his body. His hands clawed at his hair as the unbelievable news hit him.

"We aren't sure how he's been able to come to Earth, other than X.A.N.A must still possess him and that would mean that X.A.N.A has become even stronger. Although with all the injuries his vessel had when he fell into the sea could also mean that he came to Earth to recover." Jeremy explained.

"Wouldn't the vessel heal itself when X.A.N.A possessed him? Since the bug doesn't work on X.A.N.A's kind." Aelita added in.

"I don't think the bug works like that. I think that since he's possessing the vessel now, anything that were to happen to him wouldn't work anymore, but the injuries the vessel already had would remain-"

"STOP!" Ulrich screamed, launching his body from the chair.

Jeremy and Aelita sat frozen to their chairs, staring at their shaking friend.

"X.A.N.A didn't possess a vessel…or the vessel…he possessed ODD! HE'S NOT A DAMN VESSEL!"

"Ulrich calm down. We weren't specifically talking about the present situation." Jeremy explained, motioning for his friend to sit back down. As soon as Ulrich's back touched the chair…

"I-is he there now?"

Jeremy stood and walked towards Ulrich.

"Jeremy. Is. He. There. Now?"

"He is."

Ulrich jumped from the chair and headed for the entrance, but before he even got close Jeremy tackled him to the floor. He pulled Ulrich's arms above his head, pinning him.

"G-get off of me!" Ulrich said, completely shocked Jeremy was _this_ strong.

"No."

"I have to see him!"

"You can't Ulrich. The fact that he's here on Earth must mean he's stronger and if Odd is still possessed there is a chance he'd try to kill you or make you join him again. We can't take that risk."

"That's not good enough! I have to-"

"Ulrich-"

"I-I can't…wait…I-I have t-to see him…"

"Ulrich-"

"T-to know he's…alive…-"

"Ulrich!"

Ulrich blinked back the tears and stared at Jeremy, stunned by the tone of his voice. It still amazed him that five years could turn his nerdy nasally toned friend into someone that wasn't nerdy in the least and could pin _him_.

"You can't see him! Not yet."

"W-when then?"

"…"

"Jeremy?"

"Wait. Just please wait and we'll all go."

Ulrich looked down and nodded. Jeremy smiled, released his hands, and pulled him to his feet.

* * *

"Jeremy we need to be cautious when we go to the Hermitage." Aelita said slowly standing from her chair.

"I know Aelita. I doubt there's much X.A.N.A could do in his present state, but we can't let our guard down."

"What do we have to do to prepare?" Ulrich asked.

"I need to do a few perimeter and diagnostic scans of the Hermitage. If the slightest thing is off we may have to wait until X.A.N.A goes back to Lyoko."

"But we have no idea when that would be. I mean…he's been here for what five years. He's got to be really injured…too injured to make the journey back to Lyoko. This would be the perfect chance to get X.A.N.A out of Odd's body. Wouldn't it?"

"Ulrich-"

"Wouldn't it!?"

Jeremy sighed and placed both hands on Ulrich's shoulders. He tightened his grip as he stared into his friend's eyes.

"Ulrich listen to me. Your injuries didn't take five years to heal, which would mean we have no idea why X.A.N.A is still here on Earth. He could be waiting for us to find him and then he'll probably try to take you too. We have to think of every possibility before running in there blindly."

Ulrich nodded and back away. Jeremy sighed, walked back to his keyboard, and began the two new scans.

* * *

Three hours passed. Ulrich impatiently pacing, creating a trench in the floor. Aelita leaning over in her chair, asleep. Jeremy wide eyed, watching the progress of the scans.

Another hour passed before two alarms started going off throughout the computer lab.

"Did they find anything!?" Ulrich and Aelita said in unison.

"Nothing of X.A.N.A's is in the area around the Hermitage. From the looks of these scans…it's only X.A.N.A inside."

"Not even William?" Aelita asked, her eyes scanning the screen.

"Not even William. Only X.A.N.A…Odd is at the Hermitage."

"Then is that enough?"

"For what Ulrich?"

"For us to go to the Hermitage and get X.A.N.A out of Odd's body while he least expects it."

"I don't think that is a very good idea."

"Why?" Ulrich said, trying to control the frustration in his voice.

"Because Ulrich this is X.A.N.A we're talking about. It isn't just a _part_ of X.A.N.A it _is_ X.A.N.A himself. We have to be careful. Even though this isn't Lyoko he can still hurt you or even kill you."

"Then what do you suggest we do Jeremy?"

Jeremy sat down and thought to himself. The entire room filled with silence.

"We need to be prepared and ready. I'm going to de-virtualize your weapons from Lyoko and bring them here. Ulrich, you'll have your swords, Aelita, you'll be able to use your Energy Fields, and I'll have my guns. We're done going in a fight without a plan. Every time we've done that we were almost killed. I'm planning everything from now on. Understood?" Jeremy said more so like an order rather than suggestion. The others simply nodded in confirmation.

"Alright. I'm going to get the weapons. Aelita talk to Ulrich about what we discussed earlier."

"Right. Ulrich…" Aelita said motioning for him to follow her to the corner of the room; far enough from Jeremy so he could focus.

* * *

"What is it Aelita?"

"Jeremy and I have been talked about it when the scan finished and at first we didn't want to tell you we found Odd."

"What!? Why not?"

"Because of how you'd react. Which was exactly how we thought you would; you're too impulsive Ulrich. Odd isn't the same as he was five years ago."

"I know that. He's possessed."

"That's not all Ulrich."

"What do you mean?"

"Remember when we were talking about you not leaving Lyoko and Odd said he'd stay with you?"

"Yeah." Ulrich mumbled as he thought back to the heart shattering conversation.

"_Okay as you both know being away from Earth for any amount of time can have difficult side effects. Just us coming and going depletes our energy; although we have been training to prevent our bodies from becoming weak, but that's just for an hour or less trip…not a month. I can't say whether Earth's reality will either reject or except Ulrich since he's been here this long. Also if an hour trip used to deplete our energy I can't say what a month of being away from Earth would do to him."_

"_What's the worst that could happen to me?"  
"Well your physical energy could be completely run dry that it would then have to go to your life energy…"_

"_And…?" _

"…_possibly killing you in the process."_

"_So basically every Lyoko trip we take requires physical energy from us." Odd asks quietly. _

"_Yes."_

"_And when we no longer have any physical energy it'll take what's needed from our life energy…and that could kill us?" _

"_Yes."_

"So what about it?" Ulrich asked, gripping his knees.

"Well when we did finally get you de-virtualized you were in a coma for almost five years and that was only from being on Lyoko for a month."

"And?"

"That was for a month. We don't know how long Odd has been here, but most likely he'd be in the same condition as you were."

"So he could be in a coma right now with X.A.N.A inside of him?"

"Yes and X.A.N.A would be inside, awake, waiting for his vessel to heal itself. Which would take awhile without any medical assistance."

"So what's the problem?"

"If he is in a coma then we will try to get X.A.N.A out of his body. If he's awake then I'm not sure what we'll be able to do other than force him back to Lyoko. Jeremy is looking into that now as we speak, but so far we have no way to do that other than de-activating an activated tower."

"Are there any activated towers on Lyoko?"

"We haven't found any so that's really strange too. Usually if X.A.N.A is here then a tower would be activated."

"Then couldn't it just be Odd at the Hermitage?"

"No the scan Jeremy did was specifically for X.A.N.A. So he is there."

"Okay so…"

"As I was saying he'll either be in a coma, awake, or…he could be dead."

"Dead? How-"

"Falling into the digital sea is dangerous in itself, but falling into it with a severely injured vessel no less would be suicidal, even for X.A.N.A. Although the sea could be a portal to Earth since he's here now, but we can't know for sure."

"So you're saying the sea could've killed X.A.N.A's vessel."

"Yes that's also why we think William isn't there. The sea probably killed him and the part of X.A.N.A that was inside of him."

"William's dead and you think X.A.N.A's vessel is dead? Odd's dead?" Ulrich's knees throbbed from his fingers digging into his skin.

"This was why we didn't want to tell you at first, but we thought you had the right to know because he was your friend too and…"

"I-I love him…he can't be d-dead." Ulrich said through tears wanting to break free.

"Ulrich…I'm sorry." Aelita whispered.

"No sense in crying about him being dead since we don't know. We won't know until we go." Jeremy cut in, holding Ulrich's swords over his shoulder.

"Right." Ulrich said jumping to his feet. He quickly wiped the tear streaks from his face as he walked towards Jeremy.

"Ready?" Jeremy asked with a stern set expression.

"I'm ready." Ulrich answered in the most serious and determined voice Jeremy has heard since he woke up. He smiled and tossed the blades to Ulrich, who quickly strapped them to his back. At that the couple followed their friend out of the factory and to the little run down place in the woods.

The Hermitage.

**(A/N) Hmm...yes I know...a few things to say about this one. First, there was a lot more dialogue in this one than the others. It annoyed me, but things needed to be said so no one would get too confused. :) Second, this chapter didn't take as long as some of the others did...so that's good at least. Lastly, I said this story wouldn't have more than five chapters...was I wrong. Yeah, I usually am. I don't know how many chapters this'll have so just keep reading and reviewing please. Enjoy the ride. :)**


	6. Door

**Five Years**

**Chapter Six - Door**

Five years. Even though it didn't feel like it's been five years to Ulrich, he knew it wasn't a lie. He hasn't seen Odd in five years and he couldn't believe he was going to get to see him in the next few minutes. Minutes. Even that was far too long to wait; he had to get to the Hermitage…he had to see Odd. He wouldn't be able to wait much longer, but he knew he had to stay with his friends.

_If only we were running instead of slowly strolling through the woods. _

"Why are we walking so slowly?" Ulrich asked, clearly trying to hide his frustration.

"We have to be cautious Ulrich. We can't afford to just barge in." Aelita explained while gripping onto Jeremy's sleeve. He responded by taking her hand in his as they continued to make their way through the forest.

"I know we have to be cautious, but-"

"Ulrich." Jeremy warned. He knew what Ulrich wanted to do and he made it quite clear he wouldn't be running in there on his own. Ulrich sighed and dropped his head.

_I wonder what he's doing in there. Just how long has he been at the Hermitage? Why wouldn't X.A.N.A try anything while he's been here? Is he still injured? _

Thousands upon thousands of questions clouded his mind and banged against his skull. The fact that his head was throbbing irritated him, but not as much as the unanswered questions. He wanted to know if Odd was still even alive in there and he couldn't wait any longer. Ulrich glanced at his Aelita's nervous expression then looked at Jeremy; his eyes were locked on Ulrich's.

_Dammit Jeremy. _Ulrich cursed to himself. He understood why Jeremy wanted to be cautious, but what if Odd was in there dying and they were just taking their dear sweet time getting to the door. That was it. Ulrich lunged forward and ran; his legs ached. He hasn't ran like this…this fast since their last battle on Lyoko.

"Ulrich!" Jeremy yelled, squeezed Aelita's hand, and took after him. Jeremy knew this would happen no matter how many times he told Ulrich not to, but better to go with him then letting him go alone.

* * *

Ulrich finally had the old house in sight; seeing it only made him run faster. Heart beating…no pounding against his chest. It wasn't only from running, he knew, it was anxiousness. He wanted to see Odd…and he was right through that door. Before Ulrich was able to even get close to the door knob, Jeremy tackled him to the ground as Aelita watched in horror.

"Jeremy wait!" She gasped. Jeremy didn't listen and continued to hold Ulrich to the ground, just like earlier at the computer lab. He pinned Ulrich's arms above his head and stared straight daggers into his friend's eyes.

"J-Jeremy. Get off of me!" Ulrich whispered, loudly.

"I told you before didn't I? _We're done going in a fight without a plan. Every time we've done that we were all almost killed. I'm planning everything from now on. Understood?_"

"I can't just take a damn stroll through the forest. I need to-"

"Would you really risk our lives…your own life just at the slight chance you would be able to see him? Just _see_ him? You may get the chance to see Odd, but you may be walking straight into a trap after that. He might even be waiting for us on the other side of the door now."

"I don't care Jeremy! Get off of me! I'm going in there!"

At that, Jeremy's grip only tightened on Ulrich's wrists; so much Ulrich's face twisted in a grimace. Jeremy didn't lessen his hold until a small hand rested on his shoulder.

"Jeremy. It's like you said we won't know anything until we go. We can still be cautious and we'll be with him. It'll be fine." Aelita said in a calming tone. She knew how much Jeremy has changed since everything happened on Lyoko and she would be there for him every time he'd start this "change." What happened to Odd wasn't just affecting Ulrich. He was their friend too.

"Ulrich I'm telling you now. Last time. If you do anything to endanger us or yourself…I will take you out of here myself." Jeremy warned, tone deepening.

"You can't take me from here Jeremy."

Jeremy released Ulrich's wrists and gripped the collar to his shirt, pulling his face closer.

"_I_ will make you leave."

_Ulrich must be completely shocked at how much our little nerd has changed. It's unbelievable really, but understandable. _Aelita sighed and grabbed the hand on Ulrich's collar. She pulled Jeremy up and away from Ulrich.

"Jeremy?" Ulrich whispered as he sat up. Jeremy looked down at him, all anger in his eyes vanished, waiting for him to continue.

"What happened to you?" Ulrich, unknowingly, said out loud.

"Same as what happened to you Ulrich." Jeremy answered plainly. He held out a hand to Ulrich, which he slowly took.

* * *

"Are you ready to get this over with now?" Jeremy asked Ulrich once they were, again, eye to eye. Ulrich nodded and looked towards the door. He sighed and took a step back, allowing Jeremy in front. Aelita smiled a little to big at that. Jeremy hesitantly reached for the door knob, as he kept his other hand on his weapon. Ulrich did the same, gripping the hilts of both swords. Jeremy looked between the two, receiving a nod from each, he took the knob in hand. He turned the knob as slowly and quietly as he possibly could. Not that it mattered much; the knob was old and squeaked the entire time.

As soon as the door was open, Jeremy slid inside first. The place was a mess, as usual, but there was an obvious thickness in the air. The tension was so heavy; it felt like he was carrying a boulder on his back. He looked towards the staircase and saw the ever so familiar gray colored fog. Jeremy crouched down and headed for the stairs as Ulrich and Aelita followed in. They climbed the stairs slowly, one by one, as a unit. Jeremy held a hand up to halt the others as he continued up the stairs. Reaching the top, it became harder to breathe; he kept both hands on his weapons. Ready for anything. Ulrich and Aelita followed after him through the thick putrid fog, which felt too much like poison. It made them almost not _want_ to breathe.

They continued walking through the abandoned house until Jeremy stopped suddenly and pointed to the door of furthest bedroom, where the fog was emanating from. Jeremy then pointed at his weapons and told the two to remain silent. Ulrich and Aelita obeyed; weapons at the ready and silently moved closer to the fog covered door. Turning another creaky door knob, the door opened.

**(A/N) Muhaha yes I had to leave it at that. SorrySorry for the cliffhanger. It shouldn't take me too long to write the next chapter, I have most of it already planned out. Okay! REVIEW please! **


	7. Disbelief

**Five Years**

**Chapter 7 - Disbelief **

As soon as the fog covered door was opened, more poison-like gray filled the entire Hermitage house. The great tension that also left that room made the atmosphere feel even heavier than before. The three Lyoko warriors crouched down, in front of the door, from the impressive weight.

"S-stay back!" Jeremy yelled to his friends as he slowly stood and took his first step into the quarantined bedroom. Ulrich also staggered to his feet to follow after Jeremy; until a shaky hand grabbed his wrist, holding him back. Ulrich looked down to lock eyes with the nervous looking pinkette.

"Ulrich w-wait. Don't g-go yet." Aelita pleaded, her grip tightening on Ulrich's wrist. Ulrich looked away from his friend and stared at the blackened room in which Jeremy disappeared in. He wanted to go inside so badly…not only to protect his friend from whatever is in there, but…

"I have to see him." Ulrich said with determination overflowing from his piercing gaze. At that, Aelita released his wrist and he took off behind Jeremy.

* * *

Almost like a reflex, Ulrich immediately began holding his breath when he entered the toxic air of the dark room.

"J-Jeremy, where are you?" Ulrich asked, holding one arm out in front of him and the other on the hilt of his sword.

"Here Ulrich." Jeremy whispered, also holding one arm out with the other on his gun. Their hands touch in the dark as they pulled themselves to each other.

"I can't see anything in here."

"I know Ulrich, but he's definitely in here. Listen."

The two went silent, even held their breath, as they listened to the sounds emanating from the fog.

"Ha…ha I can hear him…he's breathing." Ulrich stuttered as the words of complete relief left his lips.

"W-where is he?" Ulrich said, letting go of Jeremy's hand.

"Wait Ulrich! We shouldn't separate until we can see!" Jeremy whispered; frantically searching for Ulrich's hand again. Waving his hand all throughout the fog he finally caught his friend's hand.

"Ulrich please don't go off on your own in here. We don't know where he is…" Jeremy exhaled in shock as the hand in his hand moved to grip his throat, stealing any chance of taking a breath.

"Ul-" Jeremy gasped out as he was lifted into the air.

"So after five years. You've finally found me."

"Odd?" Jeremy said as he struggled to break the hand's grip around his neck.

* * *

Ulrich searched like his life depended on it. He heard Jeremy say Odd's name. Jeremy was with Odd right now…which meant Jeremy was with _him _too.

"Jeremy!?" Ulrich screamed. The only response he got was sickly evil laughter echoing throughout the room. Ulrich stopped in his tracks and faced the direction the laughter came from. Suddenly all the fog started moving away from Ulrich and towards a figure standing at the opposite wall of the room. As soon as the fog dispersed, the room cleared; Ulrich's eyes grew wide as he was finally face to face with his best friend again.

Aelita emerged from the door as the fog left and gawked at the scene in front of her. They had finally found Odd again, but it seems as though he's still possessed.

_It's just like we feared. I don't know what to do! _Aelita screamed at herself.

"It's been a long time, Ulrich." Odd said, so casually Ulrich thought it was really him.

So lost in their reunion, Ulrich hadn't realized Jeremy was still being held in the air by Odd.

"Ul-rich…" Jeremy said, vision blurring.

"Jeremy!? Odd let him go! He's your friend."

"My friend? No he isn't. I don't have any friends. They're all dead…or will be." Odd said with an evil grin appearing on his face. _This _version of Odd…Ulrich has never seen it before. His Odd was gentle, funny, kind, and wouldn't even joke about hurting his friends. His appearance was off too, but that's to be expected; it has been five years. Odd seemed taller, a lot taller than he had ever thought he'd get. Odd's usually blonde spiky hair was still the same just messier, which Ulrich couldn't help but think it looked better that way. The purple that was in his hair had turned black from the mass possession and his clothes were all tattered, torn, and black. This wasn't Odd and Ulrich knew it, but...

"You won't kill him Odd. You won't kill your friends." Ulrich whispered as he took a few steps closer to Odd and Jeremy.

"Don't act like you still know me Ulrich Stern. I'm not the same Odd."

"I know that, X.A.N.A." Ulrich spat.

"That's not all Ulrich. I'm stronger than I was before." Odd said patting his chest.

"What're you talking about?"

"Heh." Odd chuckled as he threw Jeremy at Ulrich. The two collided and Jeremy fell to the ground in a coughing fit.

"Jeremy, are you okay!?" Aelita yelled as she ran to his side. He nodded and looked up at Ulrich.

"You said I'd never kill my friends, right? Well…look at this." Odd grinned as he walked towards the closet. He quickly looked back at Ulrich then swung the doors open.

* * *

Silence fell as mouths gapped open at the sight. Blood trickled out from the double doors; William's body sat in the back corner of the closet. Unmoving, cold, blank expression, and lifeless eyes.

Screams then took over the silence. Tears joined the screams as Jeremy pulled Aelita to his chest. Ulrich wobbled to stay on his feet, he was in complete disbelief. Odd watched their expressions and felt a rush of pure elation. The same evil laughter filled the room as Odd slammed the closet doors shut.

Ulrich hesitantly gripped his sword and lunged at Odd, pinning him to the wall.

"What did you do!?" Ulrich demanded an explanation, pressing his sword to Odd's neck.

"What do you mean _what_? I thought I made it quite clear Ulrich. I killed William and I'm going to kill the rest of you too."

"Why would you k-kill him?"

"Well let me see…he still had a main part of X.A.N.A inside of him and I wanted it. I pulled _most of it_ out of him and then…"

"He wasn't possessed anymore?"

"Not completely. He was still mine, but I wasn't controlling him. Just tagging him...really."

"WHY DIDN'T YOU JUST LET HIM GO!?"

"Don't think so badly of me."

"Don't?"

"I let him live at first. You know what the digital sea can do to you. It usually kills you unless you have part of me inside, but even so it can still do damage if the vessel, itself, is injured already. My vessel was damaged pretty badly…close to death even. Even now I'm not at one hundred percent, but William had a tougher time recovering from the digital sea with having only a small piece of me."

"So…you let him die here…slowly suffering?"

"No."

"You ended it?"

"In a way."

"EXPLAIN!" Ulrich demanded pressing the blade closer to Odd's throat, cutting him.

"He actually survived the five years I was here."

"W-what? When did you kill him?"

"…"

"WHEN DID YOU KILL HIM!? TELL ME ODD!?"

"Yesterday."

Ulrich felt the bile rise to settle in his throat. He looked to the ground and felt the sting from the emerging tears, but refused to let them fall just yet.

_DAMMIT! _Ulrich cursed at himself for being too late to save his friend.

"Anyways he survived the whole time. Having a part of me inside of him helped keep him alive long enough to recover. I _maybe_ would have let him go, but he tried to escape first."

"Es...cape? Why? To go where?"

"He was going to find you guys to warn you about…well he wanted to tell you where my vessel was. When I wouldn't allow him to leave…he attacked me. He wanted to try and end it himself, but as you can see…he didn't have any chance. So I killed him."

Jeremy and Aelita couldn't believe all the dark things coming out of their best friend's mouth. They knew it wasn't really Odd, but this…all this was just too unbelievable. It was too much!

_If only I had figured it out earlier and started my scan sooner! We could've saved William! _

"DAMMIT!" Jeremy screamed; pounding his fist on the tear soaked floor beneath him. Aelita hugged Jeremy as she said her own "what if's" and curses. Ulrich glanced back at his friends as they fell apart in guilt then turned back to Odd.

"_YOU_ KILLED HIM. NOT ODD! REMEMBER THAT!"

"AHAHAHAHA! You're serious aren't you?" Odd laughed at the ceiling then glared into Ulrich's glossy eyes.

"You don't know me anymore…and don't think for a second that I won't kill you because honestly, it's a top priority of mine." Odd said gripping the blade that was pressing harder on his throat.

"You won't kill me. Or should I say you _can't_ kill me?" Odd said in a taunting tone.

Tears left Ulrich's eyes and flooded down his face as he pulled his sword back, held the blade pointed at his best friend's heart, and locked eyes with the only one he's ever loved.

"Do it."

Blood covered the floor as tear shrieking screams filled the Hermitage home.

**(A/N) Ooooh wow. It has really been awhile, but here is a new chapter for you all to enjoy. I know it was quite angsty and depressing, but enjoy it anyways. A new chapter will coming sooner than this one did...hopefully. REVIEW PLEASE! I NEED MORE REVIEWS! Thank you kindly. :)**


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